Corrugator



CORRUGATOR File -awn. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Kqzrl 52 BY ATTORNEYS and my Patent 1,835,816.

roller is usually provided with annular grooves,

Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT i if M. Langston 00., of New Jersey Camden, N. 1., a corporation Application December 14, 1932 Serial No. 647,160

gations of the corrugated sheet while the latter is juxtaposed to one of said rollers, and a smooth surface roller for pressing a surface sheet against the adhesive coated crowns of the corrugations of the corrugated sheet while the latter is in contact with the last mentioned or second corrugating roller.

In order to cause thecorrugated sheet to follow the periphery of the second corrugating roller, it is customary to provide guide members, such as are shown in the Langston Patent 1,186,997 The first corrugating to receive the members so that the lattermay extend up to the point of tangency of the pitch circles of the two corrugating rollers.

The two corrugating rollers in normal operation are kept out of contact with each other by the paper passing therebetween. However, it is often necessary to run the machine for short intervals of time without any paper between these rollers, as for instance at the beginning of the threading up operation or in case the paper breaks, so that at these times, the corrugating rollers are in direct contact. and as lubrication of the surfaces is not practical, wear occurs. If the first corrugating roller is provided with the annular grooves above referred to, there will be practically no wear on the annular sections of the second corrugating roller which come opposite to these grooves. The teeth or ridges of the corrugations on the second roller thus become of lesser height along the major portions of their length due to such wear, but the short spaced 4 portions opposite such annular grooves and which are not subject to such wear, are pressed down to a corresponding extent by the action of the plain surface roller, and thus become slightly mushroomed at their. outer ends. When this occurs the paper forced into the grooves between the teethor ridges tends to stick in place and is often torn, broken or. deformed by the guide members.

Heretofore, it has been the usual practice when such wear and mushrooming occurs, to remove the corrugating roller and recut the corrugations. This is a very expensive proposition and cannot be repeated more than twice because of the necessity for maintaining a predetermined number of corrugations of approximately the original size in order to obtain satisfactory results.

Various attempts have been made to overcome this objection, but so far as I am aware such attempts have heretofore been unsuccessful.

The main object of the present invention is to prevent this uneven wear, to insure the maintenance of teeth of substantially uniform shape and size throughout the length of the corrugations, and to prevent the aforesaid mushrooming ofany portion of the teeth.

I accomplish this result by providing means whereby one of the two corrugating rollers may be frequently adjusted axially to a distance greater than the width of the annular grooves, so that no portion of one roller will be directly opposite to the annular grooves of the other for any such period of time as would cause the uneven wear above referred to. w

As an important feature of the present inven tion, the mechanism for accomplishing the axial adjustment of a shaft may be manufactured as a unit and attached to existing machines without any material modifications of such machines 39 and without disturbing the bearings supporting said shaft.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for, the purpose of illustration, one embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 shows portions of a corrugating machine in side elevation, and portions somewhat diagrammatic in a vertical plane, and

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through one end portion of one of the corrugating rollers of the machine, and the means for axially moving said roller.

The present invention is illustrated as adapted to a machine designed for the manufacture of single faced corrugated paper which may constitutethe final product, or which may be delivered to another machine or portion of a machine to have an additional facing strip adhesively secured thereto. The machine is of the general type shown in the patents referred to above, only a portion of such a machine as pertains to the present invention, being herein shown.

In the specific form shown in the accompanying drawings, there is a frame structure 10 in which is journaled a first corrugating roller 12 having .the external surface thereof provided with grooves or ridges 13. Meshing with said roller 12'is a middle or second roller 14 which is similarly provided with surface grooves or ridges 15 and which is suitably journaled on the frame structure 10 of the machine. The two intermeshing c0rrugat-. ing rollers 12 and 14 are adapted to corrugate a sheet 16 as it travels therebetween. Cooperating with the roller 14 is a smooth surface pressure roller 17 which is suitably journaled on the frame structure 10.

The axes of the three rollers 12, 14 and 1'7 may be in substantially the same plane, so that the sheet 16, in its travel through the machine, passes between the corrugating rollers 12 and 14, along approximately one hali' of the circumference of the roller 14 and then between the rollers 14 and 17. During the travel of the sheet 16 around the periphery of the roller 14, adhesive is applied to the crowns of the corrugations of said sheet by means of a transfer roller 18, the surface of which is supplied with adhesive such as silicate of soda, by any suitable means, as for instance that shown in the patents above referred to. A facing sheet or liner 20 comes in contact with the adhesive coated portion of the corrugated sheet 16 when said sheet passes between the corrugating roller 14 and the pressure roller 17; thereby forming the single faced sheet.

Means are provided for guiding the corrugated sheet 16 in close relationship with the roller 14 during the travel of said sheet from thecorrugating roller 12 to the pressure roller 17, and for stripping the sheet from engagement with said roller 12 as said sheet passes beyond the intermeshing portions of the corrugating rollers. This means comprises a series of transversely curved guide members in the form of fingers 21 adjacent to the portion of the periphery of the corrugating roller 14 between the rollers 12 and 1-7, and having end portions 22 extending approximately to the line of tangency of the pitch circles of the corrugating rollers 12 and 14. In order to receive the ends 22 of these guide fingers 21 in this position, the corrugating roller 12 is provided with a series of circumferential grooves 23, the transfer roller 18 being similarly provided with circumferential grooves to receive the intermediate portions of said guide fingers 21. ential grooves also serve to prevent endwise movement of the fingers 21. The fingers 21 are supported in any suitable manner as for instance on brackets 24 connected to a bar 25.

The construction so far described is old, and has not been set forth with any detailed particularity inasmuch as it is understood that it may be similarto the construction shown in one or more of the aforementioned patents.

During the period in which the machine is run without any paper between the corrugating rollers 12 and 14, as for instance at the beginning of the threading operation or in cases where the paper breaks, there is direct contact and wear between the contacting surfaces of these rollers, and the ridges of the corrugations 13 and 15 gradually become reduced in height and width. However, no wear takes place in the roller 14 at the annular sections opposite the'grooves 23. Therefore, the corrugations 15 on the roller 14 tend to become of different form at different points along the length thereof. The higher or unworn portions in coming in contact with the pressure roller 17, are pounded down and spread out and become slightly mushroomed at their crowns so that in time the paper tends to stick in place, and as it ofiersresistance to its removal by the fingers 21, it often becomes torn.

As an important feature of the present invention, means are provided for moving one of the corrugating rollers axially so that the wear on These circumfermemes the surface of the roller 14 may be distributed and there will be no higher portion to be hammered down. As an important feature. said means are so constructed as to be attachable to an existing structure without hardly any modification in said structure. In the specific form shown in Fig. 2, the roller 14 is supported on a shaft or journal 27 supported on bearings27a in the frame structure 10 of the machine, and driven by any suitable means as for instance a drive gear 28. A rotatable adjusting member 30 is provided for efiecting axial movement of said shaft upon rotation of said member. The end of the shaft 27 is provided with an extension 31 which. maybe secured thereto in any suitable manner as for instance by an outwardly extending flange 34 held in place by bolts 32.

The extension is connected to the operating member 30 through a thrust bearing supported on the extension and of .any suitable construction. As shown, it includes three race rings 35, 36, and 3'7 encircling said member 31 and spaced by ball bearings 38. For clamping the middle race ring 36 in position on the shaft extension, the outer end of the memberfil has a reduced portion forming a shoulder 39 against which therace ring 36 abuts, andagainst which it is held by a clamping plate 41 and a bolt 40. The thrust bearings facilitate the axial movement of the shaft while the machine is running, and since these bearings do not support the shaft 27 during normal running operations, no such strain is transmitted to the would render the axial adjustment dimcult.

The thrust bearing is enclosed in a casing which protects the bearing against foreign material finding its way therein, and which helps to retain the lubricant. This casing for that purpose advantageously includes a cylindrical collar 44 encircling the bearing and having an annular flange 45 extending radially inwardly therefrom, said flange loosely embracing the outside of the shaft extension 31-, but being sufiiciently close thereto to prevent escape of any substantial amount of lubricant'from the casing, and engaging the inner surface of the race ring 37. Connected to the outer end of the collar 44 by any suitable means as for instance bolts 46. is a cover member 47.

The collar 44 and its cover member 47 are heldagainst rotation but are movable axially by the rotation of the member 30. For that purpose. the collar 44 is splined in an annular flange 49 of a fixed bracket 48 connected to the frame structure of the machine.

The operating member 30 has its inner periphery threaded to the cylindrical flange 49 and has, at the outer end, a radially inwardly extending flange 51 loosely held between the collar 44 and the cover member 47 so that said member to is free to rotate with respect to the collar, and by its rotation it is moved axially, and causes a corresponding movement of the shaft 2'1. This axial movement of the shaft 27 can be effected without interrupting the drive thereto. In order to facilitate the rotation of the member 30, it

adjusting mechanism, which may be provided with a series of holes 52 on the one of a series of circumferentially arranged openings 5'7 in the flange .51 of the member 30. The pin is pressed inwardly by a coil spring 58 engaging a collar 60 on said pin. and which may be compressed by pulling on the knob. The locking means may take any other suitable form. For instance, a set screw may be provided, which is threaded to the cover member 47 and which is adapted to impinge on the flange 51 of the member 30.

In order to lubricate the thrust bearing, the cover member 4'] is provided with a chamber 61 which partly encloses the head of the bolt 40 and which communicates with said bearing. This chamber 61 may be filled with lubricant through an opening 62 in the cover member 47.

At frequent intervals the machine operator may pull out the knob 56 and give the adjusting member 30 a few turns in either direction and this will either push or pull the corrugating roller endwise to such an extent as to bring the grooves 23 opposite to-a different portion of the surface of the other roller.

Having thus described my invention,..what I claim ,as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having-circumferential grooves therein, guide members extending into said grooves, and means for adjusting one of said corrugating rollers axiallyin respect to the other to bring difierent portions of one corrugating roller opposite to the circumferential grooves of the other.

2. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having circumferential grooves therein, guides extending into said grooves, a rotatable member, and means for adjusting one of said corrugating rollers axially upon rotation of said member to bring different portions of one corrugating roller opposite to the circumferential grooves of the other.

3. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having circumferential grooves therein, drive means for said rollers, guide fingers extending into said grooves, and means for adjusting one of said corrugating rollers axially without interrupting the drive thereto.

4. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having circumferential grooves therein, means for adjusting one of said corrugating rollers axially, and means for locking said roller in adjusted position.

5. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having circumferential grooves therein, a fixed member, a rotatable member threaded on to said fixed member, and means connecting said rotatable member and one of said corrugating rollers for adjusting said latter roller axially upon rotation of said rotatable member to bring different portions of one corrugating roller opposite to the circumferential grooves of the other.

6. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having circumferential grooves therein, a shaft for one of said corrugating rollers, a member movable axially in respect to said shaft to efiect the axial adjustment of said last mentioned corrugating roller to bring different portions of one corrugating roller opposite to the circumferential grooves of the other, and a thrust bearing between said member and said shaft.

7. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having circumferential grooves therein, a shaft for the other of said corrugating rollers, end thrust bearings for said shaft and supported against relative axial movement with respect thereto, and means engaging opposite ends of said thrust bearings for moving said last mentioned shaft and roller axially to bring different portions of said corrugating rollers opposite to the circumferential grooves of the other. V

8. A corrugator including a pair of intermeshing corrugating rollers, one having circumferential grooves therein, a fixed bracket disposed near one end of the other corrugating rollers, a rotatable member threaded on to said bracket and coaxial with said latter roller, and means connecting said rotatable member and said latter corrugating roller for adjusting said latter roller axially upon rotation of'said rotatable member.

9. A corrugator including a pair of rollers having intermeshing, longitudinally extending corrugations therein, and one also having circumferential grooves therein, an end thrust bearing for one of said rollers and supported against relative axial movement with respect thereto; a casing for said thrust bearing, fixed against rotation and movable axially, a fixed member, and a rotatable member threaded on to said fixed member and engaging said casing for moving said casing axially upon rotation of said rotatable member to effect the adjustment of said last mentioned corrugating roller axially to bring different portions of one roller opposite to the circumferential grooves of the other.

10. A machine for operating on advancing sheet material, including a roller for operating on said material, a shaft for said roller, thrust bearings for said shaft and supported against relative axial movement with respect thereto, a casing for said thrust bearings fixed against rotation, a fixed member, and a rotatable member encircling said fixed member, threaded on the exterior of said fixed member coaxial with said roller and engaging said casing for moving said casing axially upon rotation thereof to effect axial adjustment movement with respect thereto, a member having a cylindrical portion encircling said bearings and an end flange extending radially inwardly from one end thereof and engaging the inner end of the bearings, a member secured to the outer end of said cylindrical portion and engaging the outer end of said bearing, and means including a rotatable member having a portion thereof disposed between said members for moving said members axially when said rotatable member is rotated. I

12. A mechanism for axially adjusting the shaft of a machine, including a shaft extension adapt- 13,5 ed to be connected to the end of said shaft, a bracket adapted to be attached in fixed position to the frame structure of the machine, and including a cylindrical portion, a member fixed against rotation inside said cylindrical portion, 1 held against relative axial movement with respect to said extension, and slidable in said bracket, and a rotatable member engaging the outside of said cylindrical portion, engaging said first mentioned member, and movable axially 1 when rotated to effect axial movement of said extension with respect to said bracket.

13. A mechanism for axially adjusting the shaft of a machine, including a shaft extension adapted to be connected to the end of said shaft, a bracket adapted to 15% attached in fixed posi= tion to the frame structure of the machine, and including a cylindrical portion, an annular memher splined to said cylindrical member so as to be movable axially with respect thereto but held against rotation, and a rotatable member thread 

